Marine Gunnery Sgt. Edward Reeder

When Pat Potter recalls her great-nephew, she can't help but remember the pet raccoon he had when he was 10 and a messy day the animal and its owner had years ago.

"The raccoon chased the cat down the chimney, and they had soot all over his house, and he had to clean up all the soot," Potter said of Edward Reeder. "My favorite memory is of him and his raccoon."

Reeder, 32, of Camp Verde, Ariz., died Aug. 21 when his Humvee hit a tank and flipped over. He was based at Camp Pendleton.

After he graduated from high school in 1990, Reeder joined the Marines. He taught other soldiers how to shoot weapons and he also worked as a supply officer. His career led to service in Bosnia, Liberia, Somalia and in the Persian Gulf.

"I think he decided that was what he wanted to do," Potter said. "His father was a cowboy, and maybe the military was a way out of ranch life."

He had two children with his wife, Christine Reeder -- 10-month-old Jarrett and 4-year-old Sarah Ruth.

"He couldn't have died doing a better thing," his wife said.

Marine Sgt. Moses Daniel Rocha

Moses Daniel Rocha was a strong man with a powerful presence -- so powerful that a friend called him "Superman."

"He just had that aura about him like nothing could hurt him and he helped make you a stronger person by being near him," Melanie Varagon said. "He was such a strong person who could always lift your spirits up."

Rocha, 33, died Aug. 3 when Iraqi militants outside Najaf opened fire on his vehicle.

The Roswell, N.M., native was serving his second tour in Iraq. This time, Rocha was doing infantry work. His job last year was protecting military VIPs.

A 1990 high school graduate, Rocha joined the Marines when he was 24 and was stationed at Camp Pendleton.

He is survived by a 15-year-old daughter, Miranda Pruitt.

Aloysius "Joe" Sanchez said he talked his stepson into joining the military.

"He died for his country," Sanchez said. "He was a good kid."

Army 1st Lt. Neil Anthony Santoriello

Neil Santoriello took the initiative, and it showed. He was named an Eagle Scout in high school and helped command the Army ROTC program at his college.

"You could count on him to get the job done," said Lt. Col. Mark N. Mazarella, the program's former director.

Santoriello, 24, of Verona, Pa., was killed Aug. 13 when a bomb exploded near his patrol vehicle near Khalidiyah in Al Anbar province in western Iraq. He was assigned to Fort Riley.

Santoriello had dreamed of being in the Army since fifth grade and took a step toward that goal by joining the ROTC when he entered Dickinson College.

"Neil wanted to be an officer," said John Hackett, Santoriello's scoutmaster.

The political science major was one of nine ROTC members selected from 150 applicants for $20,000 annual ROTC tuition scholarships at Dickinson.

"I always said one day he would be a leader in our nation," Hackett said. "Now he won't get a chance to do that."

Santoriello is survived by his wife, Lisa Santone Santoriello.

Army Pfc. Brandon R. Sapp

Brandon R. Sapp may have been 6-foot-2, but he'd still greet his mother with a "Hey Ma!" and a turn of the cheek to receive her customary kiss. And he'd wait for that peck if he didn't get it.

"He was a beautiful person in my life," said Sapp's mother, Hope Veverka.

Sapp, 21, of Lake Worth, Fla., died Aug. 15 when his vehicle hit a homemade bomb in Najaf, Iraq. He signed up for the Army two years ago and was stationed at Fort Hood.

Friends remembered Sapp, the middle of five children, as a happy-go-lucky guy who liked going to motorsports parks and playing guitar. He frequently talked about becoming a police officer and making the SWAT team.

While in Iraq, he punctuated his letters home with exclamation points and addressed the envelopes to "Hope Veverka (Mom)." He apologized for his handwriting, and opened his missives with a "Hey you!" and signed off with a "Love Ya!"

In one letter, he wrote: "It's not bad, it's just that I miss everything and everybody. It'll be all good though!"

Army Sgt. Daniel Michael Shepherd

Daniel Michael Shepherd never got to gaze into the face of his son, but his family says they see Shepherd gazing out from the infant's features.

Shepherd, 23, of Elyria, Ohio, died Aug. 15 when his vehicle hit a homemade bomb in Ar Ramabi, Iraq. He joined the service after graduating from high school in 2000 and had been stationed at Fort Riley.

Shepherd played center and tight end in high school and used to give Jo Ellen Horn's son rides to football practice during the summer.

"He seemed like he knew what he wanted to do from the get-go," Horn said. "He said he wanted to be in the military and then when he got out, he wanted to become a cop."

Shepherd's son, Daniel, was born on St. Patrick's Day and is the spitting image of his father, Horn said.

Shepherd met his wife, Kassie, in high school, said Kathy Banyasz, the mother of another former teammate.

"She missed him terribly," Banyasz said, "and couldn't wait for him to come home."

Army Pfc. Harry Shondee Jr.

Harry Shondee used to pick up his family members like dolls, squeezing them in bear hugs that showed his strength and tenderness at the same time.

"He was happier than all of us," said Myron Shondee, 29, one of Shondee's five older siblings.

Shondee, 19, of Ganado, Ariz., died Aug. 3 when a bomb detonated near his patrol vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq. He was stationed in Fort Hood.

Shondee graduated last year from high school, where he was inducted into the National Honor Society. After his military service, Shondee wanted to become an architectural engineer so he could build a house in the mountains for his parents.

Harry Shondee Sr. described his son as sincere, modest, selfless and brave. Shonee's sister, Ophelia Shondee, 27, said she will remember her brother for the smile he always had.

"He was my little brother," she said, "my happy little brother."

Army 2nd Lt. Matthew Stovall

Lt. Stovall

Matthew Stovall was a little early sending a birthday card to his wife, Natalie. In it, he promised he would make up for all that he was missing with her and their 2-year-old son, Walker.

"I cannot wait to start our lives over when I get back!" he wrote from Iraq.

Stovall, 25, was killed Aug. 22, two days before his wife's birthday, when his vehicle hit a roadside bomb.

Friends described Matthew Stovall as a charismatic leader who always had a smile on his face. He met his wife while they were students at Mississippi State University.

At the church where they wed, nearly 500 family members and friends said their goodbyes to Matthew. Many more lined the streets of Philadelphia, Miss., where he was based.

Natalie said all the kind wishes and support have helped her pull through.

"My little boy won't have a daddy any more -- here on earth," she said. "Matt will be watching over him his whole life -- and mine, too."

Army Sgt. DeForest L. Talbert

Sgt. Talbert

DeForest L. Talbert turned his young life around in only a year, going from truant and terror on the streets to mentor and star high school running back.

"Touchdown Talbert" even went on to college -- but not on free ride for football. His was a military scholarship to West Virginia State University, a world away from his upbringing by a single mother in a public housing complex.

"He became one of our greatest success stories," said Monique Davis, who teaches at the alternative school that Talbert entered in his junior year.

Talbert, 24, of Charleston, W.Va., died July 27 when a bomb detonated near his Humvee in Baladruc, Iraq. The National Guard member was based in Beckley, W. Va.

Even while in Iraq, he thought of others. He made pen pals out of high school students and fellow soldiers because he felt badly that some of his colleagues didn't receive any mail.

He traded instant Internet messages with Frances Hamilett, his girlfriend and mother of his 3-year-old son, Deontae.

"He kept saying he loved us and we would see him in August," Hamilett said.

Army Capt. Michael Yury Tarlavsky

Capt. Tarlavsky

Michael Tarlavsky relished the Army's rigorous physical training. It suited his frame -- 5 feet 7 inches of solid muscle -- and his idea of fun, which included running marathons.

"He loved everything about the military: the excitement, the adrenaline rush," said Matt Pellettere, a close friend from childhood.

Tarlavsky, 30, of Passaic, N.J., was killed Aug. 12 during a raid in Najaf, Iraq. He was based at Fort Campbell.

Tarlavsky emigrated from Latvia with his family when he was 5. He was athletic even as a teenager, serving as captain of his high school swim team.

In 1996, Tarlavsky graduated from Rutgers University, where he studied exercise science and was a ROTC member.

His sister, Elina Tarlavsky, said her brother wanted to be a soldier for as long as she can remember. Their parents even tricked Tarlavsky into cleaning his plate by reminding him that he needed to be strong if he wanted to be a soldier.

"His goal was to be a general, because he couldn't be president," Elina said.

He is survived by his wife, Tricia, and their 11-month-old son, Joseph Michael.

Army Staff Sgt. Robert C. Thornton Jr.

Robert C. Thornton Jr. was the "gung ho-est military man you'd ever want to know," his father said. "He loved those tanks."

"His plans were to stick with the military until they kicked him out," said his brother, Mark.

The 35-year-old Thornton Jr., of Rainbow City, Ala., died Aug. 23 when his patrol in Baghdad came under rocket-propelled grenade attack.

Mark Thornton described his brother as a fun-loving guy who wore his heart on his sleeve. Known as "Robbie," he attended Jacksonville State University before joining the Army like his father, Robert Thornton Sr., a retired Army lieutenant colonel.

The younger Thornton had been on active duty for 12 years and served in Operation Desert Storm as a Reservist before that. He also worked as a military recruiter before moving to Fort Hood.

He is survived by his wife, Ellen, and children, Bradley, 5, and Breanna, 2.

"He took good care of his family and took good care of his soldiers," Mark Thornton said. "His soldiers always loved him."

Army Spc. Brandon T. Titus

Brandon T. Titus often stood in the turret of a Humvee as a machine gunner. He knew that made him a target, but he also knew what would happen if he chose not to do it.

"Then one of my buddies is going to go up there. And if he gets hit that is going to be on my conscience," he told a local news station before shipping out to Iraq.

That reaction didn't surprise Titus' football coach, who praised his character and work ethic. "He was always sticking up for the underdog."

Titus, 20, of Boise, Idaho, died Aug. 17 in Baghdad in an explosion near his checkpoint. He was based at Fort Drum.

Titus graduated high school in 2002. He joined the Army on a delayed entry program, staying in Boise to work as a volunteer football coach.

He wrote a letter to his father, Tom Titus, to be opened only upon his death.

"Before I could take all the freedoms and liberty this country has granted, I had to earn them," he wrote. "I don't see any greater honor than giving my life for my country, my family and my friends."

Marine Pfc. Nachez Washalanta

Judge Tom Walker first met Nachez Washalanta in unhappy circumstances. The young man came into his court in trouble with the law again.

But Walker, a brigadier general with the U.S. Army Reserve, said he got to see Washalanta evolve into an admirable young man and a U.S. Marine.

"His life -- as short as it was -- is worthy of admiration and emulation," Walker said in a eulogy. "He could have chosen the easy path. ... But rather he chose the hard road."

Washalanta, 21, of Bryan, Okla., died Aug. 21 when a roadside bomb exploded near his convoy outside Mosul.

After earning his GED, Washalanta bounced from one odd job to another, including a stint with a circus. He then settled on becoming a Marine, a decision his family said Washalanta cherished.

"He was so proud," said his mother, Carol Caldwell. "It was the first time I ever saw him proud of himself and proud of what he was doing. He went from a scared little boy to a very proud young man."

Marine Lance Cpl. Larry L. Wells

Cpl. Wells

Larry L. Wells was the kind of guy who wore plastic Wal-Mart bags over his shoes to prevent them from getting dirty when he left the house. He sometimes spent more time grooming than his dates.

Relatives and friends described him as a man determined to look polished and accomplish his goals, even in the face of a tough upbringing. "He was well-mannered and just a good, responsible kid," said Joni Fanguy, his stepmother.

Wells, 22, of Mount Hermon, La., died Aug. 6 during fighting in An Najal Province. He was based at Camp Pendleton.

One of eight siblings, Wells bounced around a series of foster families before moving in with the Fanguy family when he was 18, having developed a close friendship with classmate Josh Fanguy.

"Larry didn't have the best life. But he never wanted anybody to feel sorry for him," said his former girlfriend, Ashley Schilling. Last year, when composing an essay about whom she admires, Wells was the only person she could think of.

Army Spc. Mark Anthony Zapata

Spc. Zapata

Mark Zapata's passion for firefighting took shape at the tender age of 12, when he became a volunteer firefighter. He kept his gear alongside his Army uniform and rigged the horn on his jeep to sound like a fire alarm.

"He was out responding to fires when he was supposed to be relaxing" while home on leave, said his father, Daniel Zapata.

Mark Zapata, 27, of Edinburg, Texas, died Aug. 15 when a militant climbed onto his tank and fired inside in the Shiite Muslim city of Najaf. He was based at Fort Hood.

Zapata grew up on different military bases during his father's 30-year Army career and had no doubts about serving in Iraq. He was studying Arabic and was interested in learning more about Arab music.

Back home, he volunteered at two elementary schools, bringing musical instruments and his fire equipment for show and tell.

His body was escorted home from the airport by fire trucks flashing red, white and blue lights. He is also survived by his mother, Ninfa.